Length adjuster assemblies are commonly integrated into control cable assemblies used in motion-transmitting push-pull applications. Such assemblies are widely used in automobiles, such as with transmission shift controls. These assemblies compensate for variation in distances between mounting points by adjusting the length of the conduit or of the core element. The subject invention relates to the adjustment of the core element.
Typical of these assemblies is one wherein a terminal member slides axially on a core element slider with a lock button to prevent such sliding movement after installation. The terminal member has a bore therethrough for defining a ball socket to receive a small ball extending from the member to be controlled. An example of such an assembly is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,163,338 to Sharp et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,930 to Chaczyk et al, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,394,770 to Boike.
Although these assemblies perform very satisfactorily, some installers fail to insert the ball connector into the proper socket and/or fail to totally engage the lock button.